Pair Programming
by Faeylle.Greywolf
Summary: Kira's online friend is attending the same high school this year. Will this friend seek a deeper relationship, or will Athrun successfully steer Kira towards a romance with Lacus?
1. The First Morning

- The First Morning -

"Hurry up, Athrun!" Kira Yamato called, standing in front of his best friend's dormitory room. "If we leave any later, you're going to be swamped!"

"Okay, okay!" Athrun Zala yelled from behind the door. "It's not my fault that you wanted me to test your new game! I stayed up really late because of you!"

"I gave you the game yesterday morning! You can't blame me for your lack of self control," Kira chided, trying to keep the smile out of his voice, "but I'm glad that you like the game."

The door opened to reveal a glaring Athrun. "If we run into any one of the fan clubs today," he warned, "it will be entirely your fault."

"Oh, the _Love-Love-Athrun_ club, or one of the other factions?" Kira grinned. "And here I was thinking that you were looking _forward _to meeting with them after the whole stalking incident last week."

"Right, the last thing I need is to be reminded of that bunch of crazy women," Athrun replied as they left the dormitory.

"Look on the bright side, Student Council President Zala," Kira smiled, patting his friend on the back. "You are the envy of the entire male student population."

"That's not very comforting, Kira."

Kira gave him a knowing wink. "Some of them are _very _cute, Athrun..."

Athrun returned with a sarcastic grin. "Want to take them off of me?"

"No thanks," Kira laughed, "I've already offloaded some of your problems."

Kira's laughter was infectious; Athrun could not help but smile. The _Lovely Couple_ and _Glittery-Glittery-Kira_ clubs were two fallouts from the play that their class performed for the school festival. Athrun couldn't remember what the play was about, but he remembered that it involved a standard fantasy setting with a prince and princess. By popular vote, Athrun was cast as the prince. This posed a problem, because not a single girl in the class was willing to let another girl play the part of the princess. The problem was solved by casting Kira as the princess, but it introduced another problem: Kira definitely was _not _a girl. That particular problem was solved with a finely tailored costume, a week of coaxing, and a very reluctant Kira.

The play had been a resounding success, drawing as great an audience as pop idol and fellow classmate Lacus Clyne's concert, but it had the consequence of attracting some attention away from the "fawning over Athrun" lifestyle and towards the "getting Kira to wear another dress" lifestyle. Athrun guiltily thought of the event as a blessing, but Kira willingly accepted the consequences without a second thought. He even modelled for the_ Glittery-Glittery-Kira _club in exchange for a few months of peace and quiet.

"It's not too bad," Kira had pointed out. "It means that the clubs will be too busy fighting each other to bother you."

Athrun had thought the same, and it had been mostly true up until last week. Either the clubs had joined forces, or the _Love-Love-Athrun_ club had won the war for stalking rights. Either case was bad news as far as he was concerned.

"Oh, I meant to ask you," Kira broke Athrun from his dark reverie. "Why are you living in the dormitory this year? Did any of the clubs stake out your mansion or something?"

"Nah," Athrun replied, pushing thoughts of fan clubs out of his mind. "I just wanted to get out of that stuffy place and live with my friends."

"Glad to hear that the heir to the ZAFT Corporation is willing to hang out with the common folk."

Kira and Athrun turned to meet Dearka Elsman, the source of the snide remark.

"You're hardly common, Dearka," Athrun shot back. "In fact, I'd call you bloody unique."

"I'm hurt, really," Dearka acted as if he had been stabbed. "Oh, my heart weeps for all humanity."

"Where's Yzak?" Kira asked. "Aren't you two usually together?"

"It's not like we're joined at the hip, like you two," Dearka retorted. "If I didn't know you guys any better, I'd think that the _Lovely Couple_ club was on to something. The school idol would be _so_ disappointed if it were true."

"Why would Lacus Clyne be disappointed?" Kira asked. "You're not making any sense."

Dearka and Athrun exchanged a glance. Kira was kind, intelligent, empathetic, idealistic, selfless, and emotional, but he was incredibly dense when it came to the opposite sex. Anyone who watched Lacus whenever she passed Kira by in the hallway would notice the faint blush on her face as they greeted each other. On Valentine's Day, Kira was the only recipient of her homemade chocolate; everyone else in the school had received friendship or duty chocolates. Kira didn't notice the signs, but his friends did, and it took an amazing amount of self control not to lock the two in a room and throw away the key.

"Don't listen to Dearka, Kira," Athrun replied hastily, "he's just being stupid."

Lacus' father, the president of Clyne Heavy Industries, was a friend of the Zala family. Athrun had met Lacus several times when her family came to visit, and he had a crush on her for a brief period of time. When he realised that she had a crush on his best friend, he decided that he would get them together. It was the least he could do for a friend who always supported him.

To his surprise, Lacus herself asked him not to interfere. "I don't want anyone to force Kira into a relationship with me," she had told him. "What we have right now is enough for me. When he notices me and is ready to start a relationship of his own free will, I will be waiting for him."

He wondered how long Lacus was willing to wait. _Would I be able to do the same? It's difficult_, Athrun reflected, _not to push my deserving friends together_.

"Anyway, looking forward to seeing the new first years?" Dearka asked. "If even a tenth of them are hot girls, it'll be the best year ever!"

"That's a pretty high ratio to shoot for," Kira commented.

"I'd warn you against hitting on the new students, being part of the Student Council and all," Athrun smirked, "but there's no way that any sane girl would want to go out with _you_."

"Hey," Dearka protested, "those are fighting words! We'll see about that!"

"Oh, speaking of new students..." Kira pulled out his cell phone and typed with blinding speed on the key pad. "I have to send an e-mail to my protégé. He's attending our school as a first year student."

"Your protégé?" Dearka furrowed his brow. "Oh right, your criminal pastime."

"Hacking's only a criminal pastime if you're doing it for--"

"Spare me the lecture," Dearka made shooing motions with his hand. "I know _you_ only do it to challenge yourself and to expose and arrest criminals, you paragon of justice you, but how can you be so sure that your student thinks the same way?"

"I'm sure he does," Kira replied. "It's hard to explain, but I know that we have the same ideals."

----------

"You're too slow, Meyrin! I'm leaving without you!"

"Ah, wait up, big sis!"

Meyrin Hawke glanced once more at her new school uniform before she ran outside and after her impatient sister. If there was anything she had forgotten to bring, it would be Lunamaria's fault, Meyrin decided.

"Honestly," Lunamaria began, "you spend too much time worrying about your appearance. I know it's your first day at a new school, but it's not _that _big a deal."

"I just want to give a good impression," Meyrin replied, tugging nervously on the ribbon of her uniform.

"If you really want to give a good impression, just bump into a boy and 'accidentally' flash your panties at him," Lunamaria winked.

"Not that kind of impression!" Meyrin glared at her sister, scandalized.

"Just kidding!" Lunamaria laughed. "Honestly, just because Heliopolis Academy is famous for educating the social elite doesn't mean that normal people can't make friends there. A rich snob hating you shouldn't stop you from shoving your way into any of the social circles."

Lunamaria was a year older than her, but that single year was enough to give the elder sister an easygoing and extroverted personality. That personality connected Lunamaria to friends with enough influence to recommend her acceptance into Heliopolis. Recommendations were the only way to avoid taking the school's near impossible entrance exams. Meyrin, who was accepted after months of tutoring at several cram schools, looked up to her sister with respect and mild jealousy.

She was thankful that she had the greater technical ability, however, to make up for her lesser athletic ability and lack of outgoing personality. Meyrin earned a reputation in her previous school as an excellent computer consultant. The money she earned through technical support during the school term meant that she never had to deal with the summer part-time jobs her sister complained about; Meyrin spent her summer breaks happily chatting with friends she made online. Although she cherished the time she spent on the Internet, she wished that she could meet her friends in person.

_If I had even a fraction of my sister's personality_, Meyrin thought, _it'd be a lot easier to make friends._

A real-life friendship was in fact the reason why she braved the entrance exam. Her parents believed that she was attending Heliopolis Academy to follow after her sister, but what Meyrin wanted was to meet an elusive online friend. The particular chat room that her friend frequented was so outdated that it lacked video and audio support, and the cryptic clues provided in their private conversations forced Meyrin to deduce his gender and the school he attended. She couldn't blame him for being secretive, however. Her friend was, after all, a notorious hacker.

BPK, the alias that she knew him by, commanded respect and incited terror in IT departments and hacker communities throughout the world. He could bankrupt corporations. He could influence the world trade markets. He could topple governments. He could do many things, but what he _often_ did was thwart malicious hackers and expose any company's shady dealings. His strong sense of justice was what Meyrin admired most about him.

She first learned of him when she was learning about the trade. Meyrin's fascination with hardware and software led her into the underground community where breaching an impenetrable fortress was an intellectual challenge, and it was in this community where she became a competent hacker. When she wasn't frequenting chat rooms, she was busy leaving silly little messages on high security machines while erasing every trace of her existence. She refused to collect any sensitive information or modify records for personal gain, because she believed that the ideal hacker was after the battle rather than the benefits. BPK was her mentor, and it was this philosophy that he shared with her.

Wondering if BPK left her any messages, Meyrin pulled out her cell phone to check her e-mail.

"You know, Meyrin, just once I'd like to see you without a connection to the Internet," Lunamaria complained. "You'll never attract a hot guy this way!"

"Not your type of guy, maybe," Meyrin sighed as she scrolled through her message list. She liked to look at gorgeous men, but she valued intelligence over attractiveness if she had to talk with them.

Lunamaria turned away in exasperation and missed Meyrin's smile. There was a brief message from BPK, welcoming her to Heliopolis and challenging her to discover his identity. As the sisters walked in silence, Meyrin wondered what sort of favours she could ask of BPK when she won the bet.

----------

"So, do you have any idea what your underclassman looks like?" Athrun asked.

Kira shook his head. "Not a clue," he replied.

"What about a name?" Athrun pressed.

"That's part of the challenge. One of us has to guess the identity of the other one before the other does. Winner gets to request three big favours from the loser."

Dearka snorted. "Are you sure that this guy isn't yanking your chain about coming here? What if he's a plant to catch you in the act and arrest you for your _evil _hacking ways?"

Kira chuckled. "I guess I'll have to ask you guys to bail me out, then."

"I think that you're taking this a bit too lightly," Athrun frowned.

"Everything will be fine, Athrun. Don't worry about it."

"Kira...!" Athrun started.

"Leave it alone, Athrun," Dearka interrupted. "You can't blame the guy for wanting to live on the edge a bit. Besides, what if his underclassman is a real beauty? 'Oh Kira_-sempai_, I've always--'"

Whatever Dearka's impersonation of an imaginary girl intended to say to her upperclassman was disrupted by a well placed jab to both sides of the ribcage. Dearka collapsed, clutching his sides.

"You bastards," he gasped. "Can't a guy have some fun around here?"

"Yes, but your right to have fun doesn't interfere with our right to retaliate," Athrun smirked.

"Always the good friends, I see," a bemused voice called out.

The trio looked up to see Miriallia Haw walking towards them in the fabrics of their esteemed school. Dearka lowered his gaze to avoid eye contact, embarrassed that she had witnessed the exchange.

"Not that I don't think Dearka deserves it," Miriallia began, "but why the acts of violence?"

"It's Dearka," Athrun grinned. "Do we even need an explanation?"

"That's cold," Dearka whined.

"Get over it," Miriallia giggled.

"Anyway, the _point _of all this," Dearka pointed a thumb at his brunette companion, "is because Kira has an understudy this year!"

"Ooh, give me the details!" Miriallia looked ready to pounce.

"That's the thing," Dearka sniggered. "Kira doesn't have a name or a sex!"

They stared at the rambunctious blonde as they parsed and gave context to the sentence. Miriallia was the first to break the silence. "What are you going to do, Kira, if she's a cute girl?" she asked.

"That's what I said!" Dearka yelled.

"Why is everyone suddenly interested in this?" Kira sighed.

"Because Lacus may finally have some competition," Miriallia teased.

"Huh?"

"Never you mind," Miriallia sighed. "Honestly, sometimes I can't figure out what she sees in you," she muttered.

----------

"Okay, there are some important people you need to know," Lunamaria lectured as the campus came into sight. "They're considered the pillars of Heliopolis Academy."

"Do I really need to hear this?" Meyrin asked, trying to keep all of the information her sister was dumping on her mentally organized.

"If you don't want to be ostracised."

"Why didn't you tell me all of this last week, big sis?"

"Didn't have time," she replied, giving the impression that it was the only possible explanation. "Anyway, avoid Flay Allster at all costs. She's a second year, like me. Beautiful, popular, and vain. Her father's on the board of directors of the Atlantic Federation Conglomerate. If you manage to get on her bad side, she and her clique will bully you until you drop out. Make friends with her, and you'll spend a lot of time kissing up to her. She's somewhat civil to her friends, though, I'll give her that much."

"What does she look like?"

"Long hair, same colour as ours. Blue eyes. Actually, she's coming out of the limo over there."

Meyrin followed her sister's finger to watch Flay step out of the black vehicle, a haughty expression adorning her somewhat striking face. The younger Hawke sister shuddered and shrunk back, preferring to avoid the confrontational atmosphere.

"Why is she a pillar of the school?" she asked.

"It's all about the social structure here, I'm afraid. If your family's rich and powerful, you become the centre of the universe."

Meyrin wondered what BPK thought of that. "Who else do I need to watch out for?"

"Oh, the others are okay. One of them's Lacus Clyne."

The younger sister stopped to stare at her older sister. "Lacus Clyne? THE Lacus Clyne? She goes to this school? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I thought you knew. I mean, you went to her concert at the cultural festival."

"It wasn't a sponsored event?"

"Please. Anyone's who anyone goes to this school. Yeah, she's the idol of our school, and an idol outside of school. So are a lot of the girls at our school. Big deal."

"Do you think I could get her autograph?" Meyrin asked. She was a huge fan of Lacus' music.

"Sure, she's easy to approach and is kind to everyone."

"Wow, I can't wait to meet her!" Meyrin said excitedly. Had she known about the presence of the songstress, she would have packed her favourite CD for signing.

"Humph, I don't see what the big fuss is about," Lunamaria frowned, "just because she's pretty and has a nice voice."

"You sound jealous, big sis. Did Lacus steal your boyfriend or something?"

"No!" Lunamaria nearly yelled. "Just because there's a rumour that she's engaged to Athrun and hangs around him at school doesn't mean--"

"Hangs around Athrun? Athrun Zala goes here, too?" Meyrin was shocked. "The junior tennis champion of Jachin Due?"

"The very same," Lunamaria stated proudly. "He's the president of the Student Council and captain of the tennis club and is a really great guy! He's good at everything!"

Meyrin was impressed at the number of celebrities attending Heliopolis. She greatly admired Athrun, but thought of him as unattainable because of his popularity and social status. It was obvious, at least to her, that Lunamaria was heads over heels for him.

"Anyway, unless you don't want to make any girl friends, you shouldn't approach Athrun," Lunamaria warned.

"Why not?" Meyrin asked. She wasn't in love with him, but it didn't stop her from wanting to make friends with him, or at least get his autograph.

"You'll become enemies with almost every girl in the school, and get on the _Love-Love-Athrun _hit list."

"_Love-Love-Athrun_?"

"His main fan club. They're very rabid. If they don't get you, the _Lovely Couple _club will, or one of the many Athrun-centric fan clubs."

"Many fan clubs?" Meyrin sputtered incredulously. _Don't these girls have anything better to do with their time?_ she wondered.

"Well, the _Lovely Couple _is all about getting Athrun and Kira in the sack together."

"Kira?"

"Kira Yamato, Athrun's best friend. Really cute, but kind of shy around girls. There's a fan club for him too, but they're not as violent. They just want to get him to dress in drag."

"Wait, 'him'? Kira-_sempai_'s a _boy_?"

"Yeah, strange that his parents gave him a girl's name," Lunamaria shrugged. "He's got the highest grades in school, but no family wealth or fame means that he has no place in the social arrangement."

"Our family isn't rich either," Meyrin pointed out. "Doesn't being Athrun-_sempai_'s best friend count for anything?"

"Only as an obstacle to getting closer with Athrun. If Kira was dating someone and out of the way... Don't get me wrong, Kira's not bad at all, it's just that Athrun's _so _much better," Lunamaria murmured dreamily.

Meyrin worked down her mental checklist. "You mentioned getting this Kira-_sempai_ and Athrun-_sempai_ together, right? Does Athrun-_sempai_ swing--"

"Don't even finish that thought!" Lunamaria glared. "No, it's all because of the play you saw last year at our cultural festival. Remember it?"

Meyrin nodded hesitantly. She didn't want to tell her sister that her memories revolved around Lacus Clyne's concert.

"Athrun was the prince, remember?"

She couldn't, but close analysis of a vague memory confirmed Lunamaria's statement. _So that was Athrun,_ she thought.

"Remember what the princess looked like?"

Another memory surfaced. "Yes, she was very beautiful in that dress, whoever she was." Meyrin suddenly realised where the conversation was going. "Wait, are you saying that--"

"Kira was the princess," Lunamaria laughed. "Very beautiful, indeed!"

----------

Kira sneezed. His friends looked at him with concern.

"You okay, Kira?" Miriallia asked.

"Yeah, it must be the air or something."

"Well, if you're sure..."

"I'm fine, really," Kira smiled, "but thanks for asking."

"Oh look, we're here," Dearka sighed as they stepped onto the school grounds. "If there isn't even one looker this year, I'll shave my head!"

Athrun grinned evilly. "Duly noted. We'll hold you to that, mister Elsman."

Dearka waved off Athrun's imaginary scissors. "It's just a figure of speech, man! Don't take me so seriously!"

"I think the problem," Miriallia smiled, "is that we can never take you seriously. It's not our fault that we're trying!"

Athrun and Kira nodded in agreement. Dearka threw up his hands in exasperation as they entered the school building and headed towards the shoe lockers. After replacing their outdoor shoes with their indoor pair, Miriallia and Dearka waved goodbye to the others.

"This is where we go our merry ways," Dearka said. "You guys are in 3-A this year, right? Visit us in 3-E at lunch break or something!"

"Sure," Athrun replied. "We'll eat on the roof or something!"

"Later, guys!" Kira called after them. After they left, he turned to his best friend. "So," he said conversationally, "how does it feel to have avoided the fan club rush today?"

Athrun placed an arm around Kira's shoulder for a friendly, personal chat. "Great," he replied, "but I want to know more about this new first year of yours. I figured that you didn't want to talk about her with Dearka and Miriallia around, so spill it now."

"You too, Athrun? I have no idea if she's a girl or not, honestly!"

Green eyes studied lavender ones. "Okay, okay. I believe you. So what are you going to do when you find her?"

"Friends, of course. She seemed like she could use one at a new school." Kira then smacked his hand against his forehead and groaned. "Now you're making me think of her as a girl, Athrun!"

"What's wrong with that, pray tell?"

"Everything, if she's a boy."

"And nothing, if she's a girl."

"Can we drop this, please?"

Athrun smirked. "Only if you agree to join the tennis club."

Kira grimaced. "I'm against. I'm not as good as you."

"Not as good...?" Athrun was incredulous. "Kira, you're my _practice partner_! How could you _not_ be as good? If we played doubles, we'd..."

"I just don't know if I can deal with that kind of popularity."

"What kind of popularity?"

"You know..." Kira waved his hands as if they could form an explanation out of the air. "Interviews, crowds of fans, love letters, that kind of thing. I always admire the way that you handle them. I don't think I could ever do that."

"Who cares about those things? Ignore them if you want. If you just be yourself, everything will be fine."

"I'm not worried about... just... well..."

Kira's personality was precisely the problem, Athrun realised. In middle school, Kira had received a love letter from a girl he didn't like, but he couldn't bring himself to reject her because of the sincerity he had felt behind the letter. Even after Athrun had pointed out that it was unfair to the girl if Kira did not give her an honest answer and had coached him on how to reject her kindly, Kira had felt depressed for days because he had hurt her feelings.

_He's too kind for his own good_, Athrun thought. _If he stopped being empathetic and started being selfish once in a while, I wouldn't have doubts about him being human._

"Will you at least consider it?" he asked.

"I'll do it, if you really want me to," Kira sincerely replied.

Athrun sighed. "I really want you to, no, I _need _you to, but only if _you_ want to do it. Maybe if you were seeing someone, you wouldn't have a problem joining the tennis club," he joked.

Kira burst out laughing. "Did you have someone in mind?" he asked after his laughter subsided.

_Lacus Clyne,_ he thought. Out loud, he said, "I don't know... There are plenty of cute girls at this school, why don't you just take your pick?"

"You know I can't do something like that."

"How about your _kouhai_, if she's a girl?" he persisted. "Or how about that cutie over there?"

Kira glanced in the general direction where Athrun was discretely pointing. Some distance behind the second year student Flay Allster, two girls were entering the building together. Their hair colours matched, but their hair styles and skirts did not.

"You want me to go out with, er, Lunamaria Hawke?" he asked, referring to the girl with the short hair and the extremely short skirt. "Isn't she one of the girls you said that you wouldn't mind going out with because she's actually civil, and more importantly, sane?"

"I meant the girl walking next to her," Athrun replied, indicating the shorter girl with the ponytails and the relatively conservative skirt. "But either one will do."

"Oh." Kira half-turned and studied the pair with his peripheral vision. "Um, Meyrin Hawke, her sister. One of the students in class 1-A this year."

"Do you know her?" Athrun asked, surprised.

"No. You asked me two weeks ago to help you organise the files of all 342 newly registered students, remember? There were photos and everything."

Athrun considered this. "Was Dearka's ratio too low, do you think?" he asked.

"Hmm... Taking into consideration his tastes, I'd say it was surprisingly accurate."

"So that's a yes, then?"

Kira shrugged indifferently, but his eyes remained on the first year student. He had gone over the student profiles to guess the identity of his _kouhai_, not to gauge their relative attractiveness. Admittedly, it _had _been difficult to study them objectively, but telling that to Dearka would have been as ludicrous as swimming while bleeding in a shark tank. Meyrin Hawke was one of the names on his list of students to watch, that much he could admit.

Athrun studied his friend's expression carefully. The last thing he wanted was for Kira to pursue a serious relationship with anyone other than Lacus, but he needed Kira to be at least _open_ to the idea of a relationship, even if it meant introducing him to other women. Athrun could only hope that Kira would not take these women seriously, and that his best friend's vision of the perfect girl matched his own.

_Please, Kira,_ he begged silently, _please don't take what I said to heart._

* * *

Faeylle: For the longest time, I've had this idea for a story involving my favourite Gundam SEED characters kicking around in my head. I find it quite therapeutic to transfer that story from pure thought into words, and it also gives me an excuse to avoid school work. Anyway, this is my first work, so I appreciate any comments and constructive criticism you can offer. Hopefully I can finish the next chapter before academia claims all of my writing time. 


	2. Double Booking

- Double Booking -

"Cagalli! Cagalli! Wake up!" Lacus Clyne called as she knocked on her best friend's door.

"Wrfl," came the muffled, unintelligible reply.

"You don't want to be late for your first day of your last year, do you?" she tried again.

"Fsgt."

Lacus inhaled deeply. "Cagalli Yula Athha!" she yelled. "Get up right this minute or I'll dress you myself!"

"Qrht!" There was a loud thump, and a mild cursing. A moment later, the door opened a fraction so that the room's occupant could yell at her disturbance.

Cagalli's first mistake was not waking up to the initial greeting call. The second mistake was opening the door. With a strength unexpected from the delicate singer, Lacus pushed against the door with her body and forced her way into Cagalli's room. Lacus closed the door behind her, Cagalli recited a few choice expletives, and the blonde tomboy was dressed for school in three minutes.

"No time to shower, and on top of that, you just had to make me wear the skirt!" Cagalli groaned. "Why wouldn't you let me wear the trousers? You know how much I hate these stupid skirts!"

Lacus giggled. "But you look so adorable in it! Athrun will love it!"

"And Kira will laugh at it, what's your point?" Cagalli muttered as Lacus dragged her out of her room and down the stairs to the common room of the girl's dormitory, near the entrance.

"Now, now, I'm sure he'll like it too," Lacus smiled as she pushed Cagalli out the dormitory door and into the waiting limousine.

Cagalli sat down on the expensive upholstery with a huff. She could imagine the contorted expressions on her friends' faces, and the righteous punishment she would have to inflict on them. _I'm going to have to get Lacus back for this later,_ she declared silently.

Lacus watched Cagalli grip the edge of her seat. "What's wrong, Cagalli?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Cagalli dodged. "I, uh, I can never get used to riding to school like this. It makes me feel like some sort of spoiled princess."

"But you _are_ a princess," Lacus pointed out. "The mysterious princess of ORB, cast out of her home to learn about the world and return into power on her twentieth birthday."

"It's the spoiled part that I don't like," Cagalli grimaced. "What's the point? It's not like it's _that_ far to walk to school. I know that _your_ dad doesn't want you walking around without a bodyguard, but why the hell did my dad buy this stupid limo so I have to ride _everywhere _in it? I mean, don't you think the limo makes the royalty bit look completely obvious?"

"I'm sure that our fathers thought of the consequences. If they pretend that the limousine is for Lacus Clyne, then it makes sense that Cagalli Yula Athha, as my best friend, would ride in it. But that just means that your father's also worried about you!" Lacus patted her friend's hand. "Cheer up! There's nothing wrong with fathers caring about their daughters."

Cagalli scowled. "_I_ think it's a problem when Dad practically smothers me. Would _you_ like it if someone smothered you with so much attention that you wanted to scream?"

Lacus blushed as she thought of her other best friend. "I... I wish _Kira _would..."

Cagalli recognised the wistful tone. "Sorry, Lacus," she mumbled, remembering Lacus' infatuation with their brunet friend.

Her first encounter with Kira Yamato was one of Lacus' most treasured memories. She had transferred into Kira's primary school late into the term because her family had just moved into the neighbourhood. Her obsession with the colour pink had caused quite some strife among the other children in her class. Children of that age often settled their differences with combinations of verbal and physical violence, and Lacus had become their target. Before they could apply their problem solving skills to her, however, Kira had declared in front of all of the others that he liked the colour pink. The end result of that declaration was a good old-fashioned schoolyard fisticuffs with twenty participants and sixteen different alliances.

She wasn't exactly sure when she had started to like him as a friend. It could have been when she had taken a bruised Kira to her house to be treated. It might have been when they had started crying together, Kira because he could no longer hold in the pain, and Lacus because he had been hurt for her sake. It could have even started the day after, when they played together during recess. While Lacus could not remember when she befriended Kira, she remembered the exact moment when she fell in love with him.

_"Why do you like pink, Kira-kun? They're making fun of you because it's a girl's colour."_

_"I think pink is a pretty colour, because it matches a pretty girl like you."_

"Please don't apologise, Cagalli," Lacus smiled, returning to the present. "I'm happy enough that Kira and I are close friends. It's my fault that I haven't tried hard enough to get Kira to notice me."

"What the hell? It's not your fault at all!" Cagalli shouted. "It's Kira's fault that he's so bloody dense! Any thicker and you'd be able to use him for blast doors!"

"Kira's not _that_ bad," Lacus defended. "He has always gone out with me when I ask him..."

"He's done the same every time _I _ask him out, too! He thinks of it as hanging out with his good _friend_, not as a date with his _girlfriend_! When was the last time _Kira _actually asked you out, Lacus, and not the other way around?"

"On my birthday," Lacus reddened, playing with the gold hairpin that Kira had given to her on that day.

"What?" Cagalli growled. "That bastard! He didn't take me out for _my _birthday!" Inwardly she thought, _now that I think about it, that's why we didn't do anything for Lacus this year. Athrun probably put Kira up to it, anyway. Did they even kiss on their date? Did Kira even think of it as a date?_

"But you and Kira share the same birthday, so we all went to the amusement park to throw a double celebration last year, remember?" Lacus slyly leaned closer to her. "If you want Kira to take you out alone for your birthday next month, Cagalli, I could always ask Athrun to give him a good nudge."

"That's not the point, Lacus!" Cagalli sighed. "Aren't you worried that I might steal Kira away from you or something?"

Lacus thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she replied.

"Why not? I like him too, you know."

"Because you like Athrun just a _bit _more than you like Kira," she teased.

It was Cagalli's turn to blush. "Oh, shut up," was her only composed response. "I was just using myself as an example."

"I know," Lacus said, stifling her giggles.

"But what will you do if there's a pretty first year that really likes him? What if another second or third year finds the courage to confess to him before he graduates? What will you do if he takes an interest in any of them?"

Lacus considered Cagalli's doomsday scenarios and frowned. "If he really likes any of these girls, I... As Kira's friend, I should support him..."

Cagalli grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook her gently. "Don't you dare think like that! You should be more aggressive! Stake your claim on Kira before he even has a chance to _look _at the new girls coming in this year!"

"I... I'll try harder," Lacus reluctantly agreed. "But laying claim is a bit..."

"_Confess_ to him then, before it becomes a competition!"

----------

_Where is everyone?_ Meyrin wondered as she examined the school grounds. Apart from Flay Allster, behind whom the Hawke sisters kept their distance, there seemed to be a distinct lack of students. If they were late for school, the school gates would be closed. If they were a little early, there would be more students walking alongside them. Before Meyrin could glance at her watch to find out the time, Lunamaria grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the building.

"Let go of me, big sis!" Meyrin cried. "That hurts, you know!"

"Shh!" her sister hissed as she scanned the premises. "I need you to be quiet and to walk beside me!"

Lunamaria released her hand as soon as they crossed the threshold. Meyrin surveyed the inside of the school building, massaging some feeling into her wrist and deciding that her sister was crazy. Ahead of her, Flay Allster sauntered towards the locker area with her air of arrogance. To her right, two boys were engaged in quiet conversation. The brunet student moved, and Meyrin caught a glimpse of the navy haired boy's face.

_That's Athrun Zala, isn't he?_ she thought, surprised to see him. _He looks so different in a school uniform and without the media and his fans surrounding him._

Lunamaria noticed the boys and confirmed Meyrin's suspicions. "Oh, it's Athrun!" Lunamaria whispered excitedly, staring in boys' general direction. "Just like him to be early, too!"

At the mention of time, Meyrin checked her watch. "Hey, we still have an hour before school starts! Did you drag me around just so you could stare at Athrun-_sempai_ from a distance?" she quietly complained.

"Of course not!" her sister replied. "We got here early so that there's _time _for me to talk with him!"

"That's _so_ much better."

"Cool it, okay?"

_Just be natural_, Lunamaria repeated to herself as she walked purposefully towards Athrun. _You've calmly talked with Athrun many times before. You don't want to scare him away by acting like his fans. Your only chance with him is to be a reliable girl_.

Athrun occupied Meyrin's attention for an entirely different reason. _I had to give up _my _precious sleep so that my sister could add time to her one-sided crush?_ she sulked, then berated herself for her negative attitude. _Don't think like that! You should support your older sister and her relationships! Why is Athrun here early, anyway? Maybe he likes her after all? Or does he come early to meet someone else? If we were meeting Lacus-sama, on the other hand, I wouldn't mind waking up early just to be able to talk with her._

"Hi, Athrun!" Lunamaria waved. "You're here early today!"

"Oh, Lunamaria," Athrun smiled at her. "The same could be said of you."

"Well, I just wanted to beat the morning rush and check my sister in. It's her first day of school here, you know?"

Up close, Meyrin realised that Athrun was quite handsome. The photo spreads that decorated Lunamaria's room did not compare to meeting him in person. "My name is Meyrin Hawke," she said, bowing very formally to cover up the nervousness of meeting a gorgeous celebrity. "It's nice to meet you, Zala-_sempai_!"

Athrun gave her a gentlemanly nod. "Just Athrun is fine," he said. "When you've dealt with formalities and titles and the social elite for most of your life, you start to hate them with a passion. Isn't that right, Kira?"

At that moment, when Meyrin's eyes met those of Athrun's companion, all thoughts of celebrities and formalities were consumed by the rosy flames that caressed her face. His crystalline eyes, lightly brushed with amethyst, captivated her and impassioned her. His voice, gentle and serene, kissed the core of her consciousness and left her breathless. Meyrin watched pure yet alluring lips frame a response to Athrun's rhetoric, but what drifted into her ears was music as magnificent as a nightingale's song.

_Does my sister feel this way when she thinks of Athrun-san?_ she wondered, losing herself in those beautiful eyes. _I think I understand her now..._

"Meyrin! Meyrin!" came a worried, familiar voice.

She blinked, and her senses returned to her. She remembered standing with her sister and Athrun by the shoe lockers, but now she found herself laying down on an infirmary bed. Slightly unsettled by the change of her environment, she tilted her head to meet the gaze of her distressed sister.

"Are you okay, Meyrin?" Lunamaria asked anxiously. "You just fainted, right out of the blue!"

"How did... How did I end up here?" Meyrin sat up, disappointed to see only her sister. _Was it just a dream?_

"Kira carried you here," her sister explained.

"Kira...?"

"He was the one talking with Athrun at the lockers."

"Kira... That was... Kira?"

There was a gentle knock on the door. A moment later, the door slid open to reveal what many Heliopolis students referred to as the _Lovely Couple_. According to Lunamaria, Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato were not in a forbidden relationship often discussed in their favourite girls' comics, but from their appearances, Meyrin could understand why they had been given that particular nickname.

"Lunamaria-_san_, is your sister all right?" Kira asked quietly before he noticed Meyrin sitting upright on the bed. "Oh, thank goodness that you're awake. Are you feeling better, Meyrin-_san_?"

Meyrin once again stared into ethereal eyes filled with sincerity and concern. She pulled the bed covers closer to her face to hide the fierce blush that threatened to consume her face. "I-I'm fine, th-thank you, Y-Yamato-_sempai_," she stuttered.

"Just call me Kira," he smiled. "I'm not a fan of honourifics either."

Not trusting herself to speak after melting from his smile, Meyrin nodded.

"You're lucky that Kira caught you before you hit the ground," Athrun said. "The way you fell, that would've left a really nasty bruise."

"A-ah, y-yes."

Lunamaria, a girl who spent much of her time observing Heliopolis students, noted the love-struck expression on her sister's face. She stood up, grabbed a surprised Athrun, and pushed him out of the infirmary. She turned back and gave her sister a knowing look.

"Meyrin," she winked, "I have to do something before class starts. You should ask Kira-_san_ to show you where your class is, oh, and around the school too, since there's _so _much time before class."

"Big sis, wait!" Meyrin called, but her sister left and quickly closed the door.

Outside of the infirmary, Lunamaria released the breath she had been holding and leaned against the opposite wall. Athrun glowered at her, not appreciative of the earlier manhandling incident.

"Why did you...?" Athrun began, but he had a feeling that he already knew the answer.

"Did you see the look on my sister's face?" Lunamaria giggled. "It was love at first sight!"

"I noticed," Athrun said glumly. He had seen the look many times in the faces of his fans, but he had hoped that he had made a mistake when he read Meyrin's. Lunamaria's confirmation of what he had seen was somewhat depressing.

"What's wrong, Athrun? Are you worried that your best friend won't get along with my sister?" Lunamaria asked, misreading Athrun's expression.

_Quite the opposite, actually. Getting Kira and Lacus together will be much more difficult with your sister in the picture,_ he thought, but he nodded anyway.

"Don't worry about it! I think they're perfect for each other!" Lunamaria exclaimed as they walked down the hallway. "They're good at studying, they share the same hobbies, and Kira-_san_'s definitely a good enough guy for my innocent sister!"

"The same hobbies? What hobbies do they have in common, Lunamaria?"

"You know, computer stuff. Meyrin's always doing things with computers. Kira-_san_ likes that stuff too, right?"

_Just a coincidence, _Athrun tried to convince himself, _but a bit too easy to draw connections. If Meyrin Hawke is the understudy that Kira talked about earlier, then there's definitely some divine intervention happening here. Kira, I know that you're thick headed when it comes to the opposite sex, and I _really _want you to stop being so dense so Lacus will finally get through to you, but please, stay that way whenever you're around Meyrin. Please don't get along too well with her._

----------

"So, explain to me why we're here early again?" Dearka asked, resting his head against his desk.

Miriallia sighed. "Don't you ever listen to my plans?"

"Usually, but I don't think you've actually told me anything this time. I volunteered to help you, sure, but I sometimes wonder if Yzak has the right idea of not volunteering for _anything_. I could be like him and sleep for an extra hour today."

She glared at him. "Are you implying that my plans don't work?"

Dearka held up three fingers. "This is your record out of twenty four."

"What makes you think that _this_ plan won't work?"

"I've experienced those twenty one failures."

Miriallia huffed. "Then why do you still volunteer?"

"I..." He quickly thought of an excuse. "I lack common sense?"

She threw her hands into the air. "Why do I even put up with you..."

He smirked. "Does that mean you'll reveal your master plan to me now?"

"All right, but listen carefully, because I won't say it again."

Dearka's eyes widened with disbelief as Miriallia discussed her latest strategy.

"That's so..." he began.

"Perfect?"

"I was going to say 'simple' or 'lame', but I couldn't decide between the two. Oh, I was also struggling between 'why didn't you come up with this earlier, say at around Plan #2?' and 'I forget the plan already because there's nothing to remember!', but I didn't think we'd get that far. But 'perfect', that's fine too."

"You don't have to be sarcastic."

"Yes, I do. I'm down one hour of sleep because of a plan that takes all of ten seconds to come up with and even less than that to execute. I'll admit though, it's so simple that it's got to work, this time."

"So you'll help?"

"I'll do it, but I still don't understand why we can't just confront him and tell him. That's how guys normally do it."

"I promised her that I wouldn't tell him."

"You know, _I_ don't remember promising anything. I could just go and--"

"Don't do it. Besides, it'll be a lot more fun this way!"

"You really like pushing people together, don't you?"

"Of course. There's nothing more satisfying than a matchmaking well done."

----------

"Here's your classroom, Meyrin," Kira said, opening the door for her.

"Thank you, Kira-_san_," Meyrin replied, peering into a classroom half filled with students.

Kira had spent the last half hour showing the younger Hawke sister around the school, from the extensive extracurricular activities complex to the high class restaurant posing as the cafeteria. Throughout the tour, Kira thought he had felt Meyrin's gaze focused on him, but whenever he turned to ask her about it, she reddened and quickly looked away.

_She's probably just nervous, this being her first day of school and all,_ he thought, trying to understand Meyrin's behaviour. _If I play the role of her upperclassman properly, maybe she'll relax a lot faster._

Kira stepped aside to allow Meyrin into the classroom, but she stopped in the doorway and turned back to him.

"Umm... Kira-_san_?" she hesitated.

"Yes?"

The gentleness in his voice firmed her resolve. "Can... Can we have lunch together?" she asked, too embarrassed to make eye contact. She really wanted to ask him a different question, but she was afraid of his answer.

"Sure," he replied, to her delight. "Do you want me to come back here at the beginning of lunch break, or do you want to meet me up in 3-A?"

Overjoyed with his acceptance, Meyrin almost missed his question. "Ah, please come here. I'm... I'm afraid of getting lost."

"All right. I'll see you at lunch, Meyrin," he smiled. _I think I understand her now. She's nervous because she doesn't have any friends here. If she wants me to be her friend instead of her senior, I'll be happy to oblige._

"Thank you very much, Kira-_san_!" she exclaimed happily.

"I'll introduce you to my friends as well," he added before he left, imperceptibly dampening her mood.

Left to herself in the busy classroom, Meyrin sat down at an empty desk and daydreamed. She was somewhat disappointed that she and Kira would not be alone together, but at the same time, she was very happy that she could spend more time with her new friend. If she remembered one thing from her sister's lecture this morning, Kira was not dating anyone. That meant, if she gave her best effort, their friendship could turn into a deeper, more intimate relationship. Meyrin blushed at the thought. She hardly knew Kira, yet she already wanted to be his girlfriend!

_Are you being too hasty?_ part of her mind wondered. _You really don't know anything about him, other than his name and academic ranking._

Another part of her mind argued, _does it really matter? You like Kira, isn't that enough? You can learn all about Kira just by spending some time with him! At worst, Kira's a kind and good friend. At best..._

Meyrin rummaged through her school bag, embarrassed to let her mind finish. If she wanted to take their friendship to the next level, she would need to learn everything about Kira Yamato. If she asked her sister for any information, however, Lunamaria would never stop teasing her. Even worse, Meyrin would not put it past her sister to try and force things along between her and Kira.

As her hand brushed against the cold plastic of her cell phone, Meyrin remembered her online mentor. Asking BPK as an outside party for information, if he knew any, would be the safer option, although it might expose her identity--if BPK and Kira were the same person. Kira didn't seem like the type of person to hang out in underground chat rooms, so she dismissed the idea as wishful thinking. Had she given it further thought, she would have remembered that "appearances were often deceiving," and that she herself was an example of this phrase; her sister constantly complained about Meyrin being too pretty to sit in front of a computer all day.

She composed a message to send to her mentor, carefully wording her questions to give the impression of detached interest. The personal nature of the questions, however, could not completely hide her intentions. Meyrin reread the message draft and deleted it, ashamed of herself. She liked Kira a lot, but she respected BPK enough not to try and deceive him into giving her information. From all of their online correspondence over the past two years, BPK had given Meyrin the impression of a patient and understanding person, one who would listen to her and give the most appropriate advice.

"If you like Kira that much, you should find out his likes and dislikes directly from him," she could imagine BPK saying. "If you can't overcome your shyness to ask him what his favourite food is, or what his hobbies are, how will you be able to ask him to start a relationship with you?"

Meyrin returned the cell phone to her bag, determined to become better friends with Kira with her own power. BPK will be proud of her determination, and as a bonus, her sister will be free to pursue Athrun. All she needed now was a means to get Kira to treat her as more than a friend, if he thought of her as a friend at all.

She was completely focused on formulating a plan of attack that she failed to notice the pair of sapphire eyes staring angrily at her from the classroom doorway. Flay Allster had been following Kira and Meyrin from the beginning of the campus tour, and she did not like the look on Meyrin's face. Before heading back to her own classroom, Flay silently promised the younger Hawke sister a life of suffering for getting close to her property.

----------

The classroom was beginning to fill up with the excited chatter of students, but Athrun still could hear the sound of the door opening and the greetings his best friend gave to the nearby classmates. "Hey, Kira," he acknowledged before he returned to his reading.

Kira closed the door behind him and manoeuvred around the other classmates to get to Athrun's desk by the window. "Are you preparing your speech to give to the new students, Student Council President?" he asked, glancing down at the notes on Athrun's desk.

"There's nothing to prepare when it's the same speech every year," he replied, grimacing. "But it gives me an excuse for Lunamaria to leave me alone."

"Was she _that_ bothersome? She doesn't strike me as the fan-girl type."

"No, she's just a little too enthusiastic sometimes, and I needed some downtime. Dealing with girls in general requires lots of energy and enough sleep, you know. Of course, I have you to thank for my lack of the latter."

"The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, Athrun," Kira smirked.

"Very funny, Kira," he said, arranging his cue cards.

"Anyway, I thought I should let you know that Meyrin will be joining us for lunch today."

Athrun dropped the cue cards. "What?"

"That won't be a problem, will it?" Kira asked, surprised at his friend's reaction.

"Oh, no, no problem at all," Athrun replied, maintaining his composure. "I'm just surprised that you actually listened to me. What do you think of Meyrin Hawke, Kira?"

"What do I think of her?" Kira repeated his question. "Well, we just met, but she seems like a nice girl. Shy and quiet, unlike her sister. If you're asking me if I would go out with her, I don't know her well enough to give you a straight answer. She's very cute, I guess."

"How cute, would you say?" Athrun probed. "Better or worse than Cagalli? What about Lacus?"

"Don't misunderstand, Athrun," Kira laughed. "Meyrin's a charming girl, but I think the best thing for her is to meet new people and make some more friends. I doubt that Meyrin's looking for a boyfriend, and I _highly_ doubt that she'd look for one in me."

Athrun debated between sighing with relief and smacking his best friend behind the head. _I suppose half an hour with an attractive girl wouldn't change Kira's perception of girls in general,_ he thought with a sigh. _I guess Lacus has her work cut out for her this year, if she decides to make the first move. Speaking of which..._

The door opened again, this time admitting school idol Lacus Clyne and her best friend, Cagalli Yula Athha. Two years ago, Lacus' presence in the classroom would elicit screams for pictures and autographs from her classmates, but the school had gotten used to having a star in their ranks. Last year, Lacus had her hands full during the first week of school signing autographs for the first year students new to Heliopolis, but the excitement was far more bearable than the time when she was a first year student herself.

The splendid songstress had already been stopped several times on the way to class by students new to the school. While she didn't mind the attention, she was thankful that her classmates were already used to her company. Lacus and Cagalli had no trouble reaching Athrun's desk as a result.

"Yo, Athrun, Kira," Cagalli greeted their friends.

"Good morning, Kira!" Lacus smiled warmly. "Good morning, Athrun."

"Lacus, it's nice to see you again," Kira returned her smile. "Cagalli, welcome back."

"Good to see you both, Cagalli, Lacus," Athrun added.

"It's only been a week, but did you guys miss us at all?" Cagalli smirked.

"Of course we did," Kira replied, causing Lacus' heart to flutter. "I'm surprised that you're wearing a skirt, Cagalli. Did you lose a bet or something over the break?"

Cagalli pulled Kira into a headlock and forcefully ruffled his hair. "Aren't _you_ so kind, Kira," she sneered jovially. "You know _exactly_ what to say and what to do, but you have _no_ idea of when you need to do it. And what's worse, you _never_ say or do anything right when you're with _me_!"

"Hey, Cagalli, cut it out!" Kira laughed, missing the meaning behind her words.

Athrun and Lacus smiled at their antics. _They're like brother and sister,_ they thought simultaneously.

"Isn't it great that we're all in the same class this year?" Cagalli exclaimed, releasing Kira's head.

"You're just happy because you get to harass Kira and me in class now," Athrun grinned.

"Damn straight! Class is no longer your sanctuary, guys!" Cagalli declared.

"Now, now, Cagalli," Lacus tried to placate her. "You shouldn't bother the boys too much."

"Lacus, you _know_ that there's only one way for me to stop pestering Kira," Cagalli winked.

"What would that be?" Kira asked.

Athrun, who caught the unspoken exchange between the two girls, said nothing.

"Why don't you ask Lacus?" Cagalli pointed a thumb at the pink princess.

"I'll tell you at lunch, Kira," Lacus said quickly. The classroom was hardly the ideal place to open up to him.

"I'd feel bad if I was the only one free of Cagalli's torment, though," Kira commented. "Will Athrun be able to learn these secret restraining techniques, too?"

Cagalli swung her hand to chop at Kira's neck, but he easily dodged.

"Speaking of lunch..." Athrun shuffled the papers on his desk. "Kira's invited a first year to join us for lunch today."

"That's wonderful!" Lacus clasped her hands together. "It's always fun to have more people around."

"Her name is Meyrin Hawke," Kira explained. "Athrun and I met her at the lockers this morning."

"Hawke? Is she Lunamaria's sister?" Cagalli asked.

"Yes. She's nothing like her, though." Athrun carefully studied their expressions as he continued. "She seemed _very_ interested in becoming friends with Kira."

"Is she cute?" Cagalli noted the nuance in Athrun's voice and glanced sideways at Lacus.

"Well..." Athrun turned to Kira.

"I usually don't pay attention to these things, but I guess so," he shrugged.

"Do you like her?" Lacus asked quietly, her eyes seeking out Kira's own. Athrun and Cagalli, completely startled by the lucidity of her question, remained silent.

"Lacus?" Kira met her gaze, uncertain of how he should respond.

"Kira..." her eyes softened. Less than an hour ago, Lacus had been content to move along at the same leisurely pace she had maintained for years. Now, with Kira introducing Meyrin Hawke to their group and her earlier conversation with Cagalli, things were accelerating faster than she ever expected, or even wanted. If she could not quicken her step, she would never be able to stay by his side.

_If I have to run blindly into an unknown future,_ _I want to do it while holding your hand in mine. Will you let me hold your hand, Kira?_

* * *

Faeylle: I had trouble writing this chapter because romance doesn't come naturally to me. I apologise if you found yourself grimacing while reading some of the passages in this chapter. On another note, I don't think I'll be able to release another chapter until November, because that's when my midterms and project deliverables will be done. 

Many thanks to _Encumbrance_, _shad0w118_, _KiraFreedom_, _lordmaguareion_, _ninofchaos_, _Maryam Khanoom_, _NefCanuck_, and _ZGMF X-19A Infinite Justice_ for taking the time to comment on my story! I appreciate your reviews and endeavour to meet your expectations.

I don't want to give away the plot or anything, but I do find myself leaning towards... Oh, that would spoil it, wouldn't it? I have two threads formed in my mind, and which one I write will depend on what you, the readers, hope to see. So, please let me know what you want and what you think!


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